The common orthodontic appliance usually employs metal bands which are adapted to encircle the teeth and which form a surface to which a bracket may be secured as by any known means and to thereafter secure a ligature wire to the bracket. Normally the ends of such ligature wire are twisted using a proper tool for this purpose and then the twisted ends are cut. The ligature wire is an extremely thin wire and when the twisted ends of the wire are cut, the cut wires must then be safely placed behind the arch wire where it will be kept, thus avoiding injury to the wearer of the corrective appliance. Unless the cut twisted ends of the wire are placed or tucked under the arch wire, the cut ends of the wire can cause damage to the interior of the mouth of the wearer of the corrective appliance.
With the above in mind, it is one object of the invention to provide an inexpensive yet effective appliance which may be readily adapted to a finger or thumb of the user and which will engage the twisted end of the ligature and guide the same under the arch wire.
Another object of the invention is to provide a finger or thumb held appliance which can be adjusted to fit differently sized fingers or thumb and of such dimensions so as not to interfere with free movement of the first joint of the finger to which it is applied for use.
Another object of the invention is to provide the finger or thumb held appliance with a notch and/or serrations along the front of the appliance which will assist in engaging the cut twisted ends of a ligature wire and to guide the same for placement under the arch wire.
These and other objects and advantages attained by the invention will become more fully apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.